>> The number one sports in Malaysia is not listed in the Podium Programme due to its poor performance where the last gold medal won was at the 2011 Indonesia SEA Games.
Kuala Lumpur – The poor performance of the national football squad where their last gold medal won was at the 2011 Indonesia SEA Games has resulted them not being listed in the Podium Programme.
The Chief Executive Officer of the National Sports Institute (NSI), Dato’ Dr. Ramlan Abd Aziz when at his office, said the decision could have been made after taking into account the failure of the football squad to meet the criteria set.
On the contrary, he has hinted that only hockey and sepak takraw will be among team sports that will be listed based on the programme instruction and the outcome of the recent discussion with the controlled committee.
Fail to meet criteria
“Obviously the team sports that we are considering is hockey, based on its achievement. This is because phase 3 of this programme will allocate slots to athletes who are capable in winning medals in the Asian Games.
“If we look at hockey, they’ve won silver and bronze at the Asian Games, so it is fair to put them into consideration and I do not deny that sepak takraw stands a chance too.
“However, football is too far away. I don’t see how at this stage they are qualified to be listed. Although this will be a decision made by everyone, but what I see is football did not meet the criteria that we set and clearly they are not qualified,” he said.
Last February, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) introduced the Podium Programme which in future will be the field where quality athletes born, to excel at international level after the restructure of National Sports Council (NSC) and NSI.
Chosen athletes under this programme will be assisted systematically in terms of nutrition, training, facilities, sports science and coaching which will be structured specifically by NSI for each athlete and group.
150 athletes listed
It is understand that, the selecting committee has thus far received a list of 150 athletes from the sports association to be enroll into the Podium Programme, and there is a possibility that the number will be reduced to 120 athletes.
If this realized, this will be the first time football is not listed in the country’s main programme after it was listed in the Core Sports programme, and this will definitely raise question marks on the direction of the sport.
For the record, since clinching gold in the 2009 and 2011 SEA Games and winning the 2010 AFF Cup, the national football squad has failed to win any championship.
